HE’S SUPER
Son can forget all about getting a break.. apart from when he is banned against Ajax
MAURCIO POCHETTINO has told Heung-min Son that the only time he will get any rest in the next few weeks is in the Champions League semi-final opener.
The in-form Tottenham striker is banned for the first leg of the semi-final at home to Ajax on Tuesday week after picking up a booking in the dramatic quarterfinal success against Manchester City.
Son scored twice as
Spurs stunned the
Blues on Wednesday night, losing 4-3 at the
Etihad but scraping through on away goals.
Tottenham are back at the Etihad this lunchtime in the Premier League. But with fellow striker Harry Kane out injured, Pochettino (right with Fernando Llorente and Son) has confirmed that the South Korean will be one of the first names on his teamsheet for the rest of the season. His loss for the first leg could be a major problem for the Spurs manager, but he said: “You can be sure if Son is OK he is going to play in the rest of the games. “We have to be careful how we manage the team.
But Son is so important to us.”
Pochettino has told his team to be ready for a City backlash today. Pochettino’s men left their opponents shattered on Wednesday, all hopes of a unique Quadruple in tatters.
But the Argentinian coach has warned his team that Pep Guardiola’s side will have put the Euro disappointment behind them and be determined to keep their title chase on track today. Poch is
also wary of a slump from his own players after their incredible emotional high in midweek as they seek the points needed to remain in the top four.
“City are going to move on, like us, from the Champions League to Premier League,” he added.
“They are going to fight for a massive thing, which is to win the Premier League. The principal challenge for them is to win the league.
“We need to think that we must be in the top four next season. That is our challenge and it is going to be tough.
“It is made more difficult as our circumstances are not the best. City have nearly all their players fit, but we need to assess our squad.
“We will miss some players that are so important and we need to think how we are going to change things.
“For sure we need to be ready to fight City and challenge them. It will be tough.
“They are not going to fight for revenge. They need the three points, like us.”
City go into the fixture lying two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. The Anfield side are not in action until tomorrow when they travel to Cardiff.